My Enemy (Short Story)
'My Enemy' is a short story that takes place a year after Ascendancy. It follows Max Amaru and Wyatt Masher, now nine years old from living in Outland with the time difference, as Max attempts to overcome serious PTSD following the events of Apocalypse. The story mostly takes place on Arsinos, and features Dragonfly as an antagonist. Unlike previous stories written based on Tales of Barvosians, which have either served as preludes or teasers to campaigns or been re-telling of past events, 'My Enemy' contains a fewmajor plot developments and advances the current story significantly. Synopsis Max and Naomi are living happily together in Outland, where they've been raising Wyatt in total safety and security. Despite this, Max suffers from PTSD relating to the events of Apocalypse and struggles constantly to hide his trauma from Wyatt. Whilst exploring, Wyatt finds Cayden's robotic arm in the ravine where he was killed by Felix, triggering Max's concern even further. Naomi comments that Max is getting worse and Max decides he needs to go to Devil's Crag and utterly destroy all of Solomon's data relating to the Machine God to give himself closure. Meanwhile, Dragonfly (who's name is revealed to be Isaac), lands on Arsinos with a small army looking for the Steel Tower. Unable to locate Devil's Crag from space, they land at a primitive village near Ptomley's Gate. Isaac apparently kills a man named Jack Watermaine (a distant relative of the Outlaw) and takes a map of the world from him. The Watcher recruits the village population and they leave for Devil's Crag. Max arrives at the same village shortly afterwards, and finds Jack alive but injured. Whilst nursing him back to health, he's outraged to discover that Wyatt has followed him by sneaking into the boot of the car. Max scolds him, but Wyatt points out that Naomi encouraged him to smuggle himself along, to 'protect daddy'. Max reluctantly agrees to let Wyatt tag along. They, and Jack, to an old Dalanian shuttle to Devil's Crag to follow up on Jack's attacker. Isaac reaches Devil's Crag, and uses the old technology there to activate large satellite dishes to scan the planet. He locates the resting spot of Ruaumoko, who's settled down in Loveshack, and sets off there on his own. Isaac arrives in Loveshack and confronts Ruaumoko, who taunts him over his 'humanity'. Isaac responds by secretly ordering his orbiting ship, Omerta, to fire a large Blacklight javelin missile at Ruaumoko's location, which impales and severely weakens him. Isaac taunts Ruaumoko further, before ordering a second missile to be fired which impales Ruau's head, killing him. Isaac triumphantly returns to Devil's Crag, ordering the Watcher to begin 'the end'. Max, Jack and Wyatt reach Devil's Crag, where Wyatt feels Ruaumoko's death. Max, realising Dragonfly is here, pleads with Wyatt to use his powers to go home as he knows Dragonfly is capable of killing Titans, which Wyatt reluctantly agrees to and apparently disappears. Jack and Max investigate Devil's Crag, but are ambushed by Isaac – easily overpowered, Max is knocked back onto an exposed pipe and impaled through the stomach, whilst Jack is dragged away. Max is left to die, and is an inch from death before Wyatt (who only turned invisible rather than teleporting home) heals him back to health. Max and Wyatt see spores being released into the sky, which Wyatt feels are weakening him. Max remembers a conversation he once had with Cayden, where Cayden had once considered releasing Blacklight spores into the atmosphere to destroy it, rendering the planet defenceless to ravages of space so it'd be quickly destroyed. Max realises that his plan is being en-acted on Arsinos, and that Dragonfly is either Cayden himself or another Masher. Wyatt and Max confront Isaac just as he is leaving. Isaac reveals that he is Felix's son. Isaac explains that the 'memory' of Monty is what caused Nemeroth to be created in the Warp, and in order to truly kill something so influential you have to kill his memory, and all those who carry it. Isaac refuses to stop the Blacklight spores, and Max isn't strong enough to fight him. Wyatt also can't bring himself to attack Isaac, even though he has the power. Jack also goes with Isaac, wishing to be with is people who joined Isaac's society. Max and Wyatt escape back to Outland before Arsinos is destroyed. After an emotional breakdown, Wyatt decides he's ready to make enemies and fight for what he believes is right. He asks Max and Naomi to train him, but Max refuses to be anything other than Wyatt's loving father. Instead, Max plans to arrange for the Outlaws and Dark Avengers to train Wyatt to fight. Meanwhile, up in space, Isaac sets a course for Barvos. The Watcher warns that they don't have the manpower or Blacklight reserves to destroy the entire planet easily'. Isaac's 'society' is revealed to be a reformed Amun-Seth planning to make settlement on Barvos. In the closing section, Isaac reveals he has formed an alliance with Calas Typhon, and have a plan to somehow destroy both the Machine God and Whiro, though it would involve extensive innocent casualties. Typhon warns Isaac that the Outlaws and Dark Avengers will oppose Isaac because of this, but Isaac remains hopeful that they can be persuaded otherwise. Link to Story https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDZt_ODhCRkLx3xYier283dxnkqU363l2Jq01MV6Akw/edit Category:Short Stories